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Appaloosa tail help? This is not pretty.

I've basically accepted the fact that instead of my horses tail getting longer and fuller as she ages, it's actually getting shorter and thinner. She just turned 2 y/o and if it gets any worse than this, I might actually cry.

Not only am I worried about showing her with it, but I'm also concerned about keeping her comfortable with the flies during the upcoming summer months. I've been looking into purchasing a fake tail for her (maybe 1/2 lb?) for showing, but obviously don't want to be using it on a daily basis. After some research, it looks like I'm going to have to make her a "tail" out of a tail bag and baler twine.

Has anyone seen these made before, or have any experience with a diet change, supplement, or miracle conditioner to help my horses pathetic genetics?

I've had really good luck using MTG in the past on mare's who have had their luscious locks chewed off at the roots by their spawn. I haven't used it in a few years, though, so I'm sure that there is something better out there. How much outside time does she get? I would add an Omega-3 type supplement, as that usually aids in growth. My mare's tail goes va-va-voom in the summer when she goes out 24/7 thanks to the vitamins in the grass.

Also, does she go out with anybody that could possibly be chewing her tail and not letting it grow? Just an afterthought.

My dad just bought an app. The breeder said that he bought him from said that as he started to roan he lost his mane and tail. It's growing back in now but I had never heard of such a thing. Maybe it's just a phase?

Try MTG. I have a friend that made a tail bag with pieces of baling twine attached for her appy. I've hear of paint people using rogaine but, I don't think I'd try it on my horse (just in case there's side effects/reactions)

It's actually genetic in Appaloosas. There is a gene associated with the App color/pattern gene complex that also produces brittle mane and tail hair. Ratty manes and tails just are a hazard of buying Apps.

My varnish roan Appaloosa cross has a mane that never gets any longer than standing straight up. Her tail is fine, at least to my eye.

Originally Posted by Reagan

My dad just bought an app. The breeder said that he bought him from said that as he started to roan he lost his mane and tail. It's growing back in now but I had never heard of such a thing. Maybe it's just a phase?

I also have a varnish roan appaloosa mare. It's genetic and there's really not much you can do to increase length and fullness. I spray mine's tail with a bit of conditioner once a week and use my fingers to separate the hairs. Other than that I leave it alone.

You can try to minimize breakage - make sure she has enough protein in her diet (check grass & hay analysis for your area to ensure you're feeding suitable supplements) & finger comb only with whatever your fav conditioner is (check that it is silicon & mineral oil free as both promote drying & increase rate of breakage).
Stay on top of deworming & coat shedding & any skin conditions so she doesn't rub & break hairs.

Read the warning label on the MTG before using - photosensitive reactions can occur so avoid sunlight (horse may also have an "allergic" reaction to the sulphur compounds in the product, again this will be heightened by sun exposure).

Well – I will give you a little hope (and I will try to get some pictures to show you!).

I have a 6 year old Appy – she was born dark bay with blanket, and a full thick black mane and tail.

Around 2 – she started to roan heavily, and her mane and tail just STOPPED growing – no length was being added, and she was losing long hairs from the roots. BUT she started to grow white hairs (not as thick / as many as the black, but new growth).

Now, having just turned 6, her tail is totally white, and much thicker than it was a few years ago. Hers is banged just below the hocks now.

Her mane also went through a “Mohawk” phase, but is now thicker, white, and lays nicely. Her forelock came back in as well – just its now white! Decently thick, and I trim it just below eye level.

So do not despair! My horse’s tail was almost as thin as yours before it started growing back in.

Also, I do not find her hair to be brittle, so maybe she got lucky and skipped that gene – but she certainly does have roan, and has turned from a bay with blanket to a leopard.

Oh – and I wash her tail about every two weeks. I use Mega Tek conditioner, because it is supposed to be a good one, and help with breakage. I also use Cowboy Magic detangler generally.

She also gets plenty of protein thanks to alfalfa hay and a ration balancer. Gets fresh grass and rice bran as well. Hoof supplements can also help with hair quality.

There is a type of fake tail you can try, its a tube slide on type where you slide a braid at the very end of the horses tail bone into a hole in the centre of the fake tail. to make the 'tube' of the top of the tail blend in I have seen them done that they use hair from the centre of the fake tail and attach it to the tube, so that it blends in a bit better. I would contact a good tail maker that has experience with stock horses and see if they can help you.

I like the conditioner idea. I actually have some that's infused with keratin that I'll happily donate to her. She's on a super strict worming schedule and always has clean fecals so I'm okay there. Feed and hay are also good to go, but I could definitely add some omega 3's into her diet. Biotin too.

Like yours, Appsolute, mine didn't start losing her mane and tail until this year. As a yearling she had a shorter tail than other horses her age, but it did have some thickness to it. I'm hoping that it may grow back like yours did??? Her mane was so thick as a yearling (proof: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...photo1copy.jpg) that we used to joke about somehow transferring what she had for a mane onto her sad wimpy tail. Then that all fell out too!

aqhadreamer, that tube sock idea sounds interesting and is something i'll definitely look into. Hopefully I'll be able to find someone in the Toronto area.

CUTE!!! I agree she is far too gorgeous to worry about a tail. I'll also third/forth/whatever the Omega part. Very first horse was a roan varnish appy and while her mane maintained a stubborn mohawk her tail was in full bloom after some omega and regular conditioner. I would water down the Mane N Tail conditioner and spray into her tail (avoid the bone like the plague) once a week. She was out 24/7 and was perfectly fine with it.

Adoring fan of A Fine Romance
Originally Posted by alicen:
What serious breeder would think that a horse at that performance level is push button? Even so, that's still a lot of buttons to push.

Give her a fly sheet - adding a tail bag or whatever is just more likely to break more of her tail hairs. You can get fly sheets with lots of coverage these days - tail, belly, neck. Also invest in some 14-day fly-spray or Swat.

Blugal

You never know what kind of obsessive compulsive crazy person you are until another person imitates your behaviour at a three-day. --Gry2Yng

I have a 50/50 Dutch WB-APP mare. She is pretty well split into the front half being warmblood and the hiney being app.
I purchased her when she was 2y/o, her tail was MAYBE 4 inches below the end of her dock. It then started to shed until she was about 4. It never got true appy like but it did get thinner between the age of 2 and 4.
I was so jealous of my friend's horses who had gorgeous plumes of tails.
I tried MTG - people swear it works. I didn't find it did anything better than a good thick conditioner would. Plus it seemed to attract bugs ...

I resorted to braiding it all winter, trimming the ends every so often and I don't brush it, only condition and leave it.

Now, she is just 5y/o and it is getting fuller and is about 5 inches below her hock when resting or just below the hock when carrying it.

BUT that being said, she is a buckskin with leopard markings not a roan. A friend of mine has a lovely roan app. Mare is in her teens and her tail never grew.

Good luck and don't worry, your mare is gorgeous. I would much rather than a gorgeous horse with little tail than a horse with little for looks and a bush of a tail.

If you want to preserve the hairs she already has, then you can use coconut oil on the ends. A ton of people at my barn have used it and it is really helping their tails look nice (not apps though, but still)

This type of tail works great for showing. You pull bits of the actual tail hair through the holes and make small braids to hold it in. You can't tell it's an extension once it's in and you fluff a little hair over the top if you can.

I used to soak him in flyspray during the summer and he wore fly bands or boots on his legs. It was funny watching him try to swish flies away with that stumpy thing. I never attached anything to his tail though because I was worried about damaging what little he did have.